Panasonic Vacuum Cleaners
Panasonic vacuum cleaners are rated highly, when you balance price and how well they work. Choose between upright and canister styles for your home or office.
Panasonic makes four types of the vacuum cleaners. Upright Panasonic vacuum cleaners are general-purpose household appliances. The Platinum line of Panasonic vacuum cleaners is more rugged, and is sold through specialty retailers. The canister line of Panasonic vaccum cleaners is the usual compact, lightweight vacuum cleaner that follows the user around. The commercial line of Panasonic vacuum cleaners is designed for business settings that get a lot of foot traffic, such as hotels, restaurants, gyms, and offices.
The MC-UL675 upright Panasonic vacuum cleaner features Cyclonic Bagless technology. This means the vacuums main chamber is designed to spin dirt into a receptacle that should be emptied after each use. This model also features AirSpin filter cleaning powered by extension of the wind-up power cord, which spins the air filter to get rid of some dust and maintain filtering efficiency. A Dirt Sensor lets you know if there is any obstruction of the vacuum air stream from a clogged hose, full dirt cup, or any other source. An anti-static dirt cup helps keep pet hair from sticking inside. QuickDraw Onboard Tools, including a stretch hose and extension wand, allow constant access to tools for all-house, high-up cleaning. Automatic height adjustment makes it easy to go from bare floors to carpets of various piles.
The MC-UL671 upright Panasonic vacuum cleaner is $50 less than the MC-UL675 and lacks the Dirt Sensor. Otherwise, their features are the same.
The MC-UG471 upright Panasonic vacuum cleaner is a traditional model that uses bags. It features a cord reel, automatic carpet height adjustment, on-board tools, and a 12.5-foot attachment reach with the wand and extension hose. It has a HEPA filter to help capture allergens. It is also the lowest-priced model ($250 MSRP) in the Platinum line, which ranges up to $699 MSRP.
The Platinum line is Panasonic's broadest, sold through authorized dealers. It includes bagged and bagless models, with and without HEPA filtration, upright and canister models. Apparently, Panasonic wants you to believe that these models are more rugged than their non-Platinum brethren. Which makes you wonder how flimsy the latter are!
ePinions.com consumer ratings seem to show a direct correlation between price and satisfaction for Panasonic vacuum cleaners. The model MC-V415 gets a generour 4-1/2 stars and costs around $220. The $129 model MC-V7305 gets a lukewarm three stars. The main differences are in durability and ease of use.
Consumer Reports did not include Panasonic vacuum cleaners in its latest survey and testing of vacuums. Amazon.com reviewers give the Panasonic vacuum cleaners good marks on cleaning. The all-plastic construction of some models caused concerns about long-term durability. Many reviewers were unhappy about the high cost of HEPA filters, which must be replaced regularly. (Hint: try eBay.) Finally, several reviewers felt that the power cords retracted too fast.
Overall, Panasonic vacuum cleaners are fairly priced, middle-of-the-road appliances that clean well, are relatively easy to use, and may have high filter replacement costs. The longevity of the plastic bodies on some models is still to be seen.
